Pokemon: Somnium Region
by PokemonGalaxy1009
Summary: This is a story about two trainers, Mitchell and Cody, exploring the region of Somnium. They are sent out on this adventure to experience and do research on a strange phenomenon known as DreamClouds. This strange phenomenon is capable of bringing fantasy into the world of reality. What kinds of obstacles will stand in the way? Stay tuned and find out as the story develops.
1. Introduction

Introduction: Somnium Region

_Professor: Good day to you, trainer, and welcome to the Somnium Region. It is here that you will embark on an adventure that will more likely change who you are today. Creatures known as Pokemon, of course, inhabit this planet. Some trainers consider their Pokemon as pets, while there are others out there that team up with their Pokemon in battles in order to become stronger. Unfortunately, some out there use their Pokemon to do evil deeds in the name of darkness. However, the Somnium Region is far different compared to all the other regions that surround us. Our region is surrounded by a huge dome of DreamClouds, a strange phenomenon that brings fantasy into the world of reality. It is a bizarre phenomenon that we plan to look into, but for now, I want to get you started and help me in my research. Now… are you a boy or a girl?_

Trainer: The last time I checked, I am a boy. If I am not a boy, this is going to make things quite complicated to explain…

Professor: Ah… so you are a boy. Now, care to tell me your name?

Trainer: It seems a bit impolite to ask for my name when you have not properly introduce yourself. Anyway, my name is Mitchell.

Professor: Oh… I must apologize for my rudeness, Mitchell. My name is Professor Mimosa, and I am a Pokemon Researcher. I also study the characteristics of the DreamClouds. My son is going to partake in this research along with you, too.

Mitchell: Do you happen to remember his name?

Mimosa: What a silly question. Of course, I remember my own son's name. That would be most inconsiderate to forget the name of my own flesh and blood. You will be traveling with Cody on this research expedition. Your journey will start in your new hometown of Angelus. It is there that your journey as a trainer will start.

Mitchell: Angelus… the Latin word for angel? Do we live in a town of angels or something?

Mimosa: You will be amazed at what kind of power the DreamClouds possess. As I said before, it will bring the thoughts of fantasy into the lives of reality. Now… it is time for us to meet in my laboratory. There is much for us to discuss when you wake from this dream.  


* * *

**Author: **This is just going to be a small introduction explaining what is to come. The first chapter will be up either later tonight or tomorrow. It all depends on how it turns out. Please let me know what you think of this idea when you get the chance by leaving a comment.

**Mimosa: **Only time will tell the tale._  
_


	2. Chapter 1: DreamClouds

Chapter 1: DreamCloud Research

Mitchell's eyes open widely and he sits up straight on his bed with a look of surprise. His breaths are heavy, his body is sweating, and his black-wings stretch out on both sides. His feathery hair is a blondish-brown color, his eyes are a bluish-gray color, and his skin is faintly tan.

He looks down at his palms and thinks as he tries to calm, 'What in the world was that dream just now?' In the corner of his vision, he sees the tip of his right wing. He looks at the wing and thinks in surprise, 'Wh-what the devil? D-do I really have wings?' As he tries to figure out what is going on, he hears his mother's voice call from downstairs, "Mitchell, Cody is here. Get up out of bed and get dressed already."

He looks at the door of his bedroom and thinks as he folds his wings in close to his back, 'Well… I guess I might as well play along.' He removes the quilt and sheets from his body and jumps out of bed, making a loud thumb as his bare feet makes contact with the wooden floor. He walks to his closet and changes out of his pajamas into his daily clothes behind closed doors. He grunts as he tries to get his black t-shirt on over his wings. 'Geez… this is a lot tougher than I thought. To think I always wanted to have wings before I got them. What the hell was I thinking?'

After he finally gets his shirt on, he opens the sliding closet door and walks out. He is wearing the black t-shirt, blue jeans, black shoes, and a black unzipped jacket with silver wing designs on the back and silver sword designs on the arms.

A look of discomfort shows on his face as he feels the discomfort on his wings. 'Note to self… slash the back of my shirts for my wings to slip through. This is pretty damn uncomfortable.'

He closes his eyes and tries to block out the discomfort by thinking new thoughts, 'Anyway… today is the day that Cody and I start our Pokemon journey. This is going to be very interesting.' He grins at the thought and continues while clenching his hands into fists, 'Yeah… and it is Professor Mimosa that we are supposed to meet today. He is the one that is going to give us our first Pokemon! This is certainly going to be exciting.'

He drops his arms to his side and thinks while leaving his room and walking down the stairs, 'Perhaps he will be able to explain the whole DreamCloud deal more clearly.'

When he reaches the first floor, his eyes widen with surprise when he sees the purplish haze outside through the window. He thinks as he focuses his attention on the thin haze that seems to cover the whole town, 'Is this what Mimosa spoke of in my dream? I do not remember seeing such a weird fog before ever since I lived here.'

Before he finishes his thought, he hears his friend's voice say from the kitchen, "Hey, Mitch. Are you ready to head out?"

He looks to his left from the foot of the stairwell and sees Cody sitting at the kitchen table. He is wearing glasses, has long, black hair that folds into a ponytail, is wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans, has brown eyes and has pale skin. A look of surprise shows on his face when he sees that his friend has black-wings, too.

Cody asks, "What's with that look, Mitchell? Is it the wings?"

He nods and replies, "Yep… I honestly thought I was the only one to wake up with wings, too. Excuse me for one moment…" He walks over to the kitchen counter and pulls out a steak knife.

Cody asks as Mitchell walks back to the table and places the knife on the table, "What are you up to?"

He replies while removing his jacket and shirt, revealing his fold-in wings, "I need to do the same thing you did with your shirt. Keeping my wings tucked in like this against my back is just too uncomfortable."

Before he slices the back of his clothes, he looks at Cody and notices that his wings are no longer there. He asks with a look of surprise, "Cody, where in the world did your wings go?"

He answers while pointing at his friend's back, "I can ask you the same thing, Mitch."

Mitchell quickly touches his own back with his right hand, no longer feeling the wings that were there earlier. A look of relief shows on his face as he says, "Well thank goodness for that. I was feeling hesitant about cutting up my favorite clothes."

As he puts his clothes, back on comfortably, his friend says while crossing his arms, "Man… you almost sliced holes in your favorite jacket. I was curious to see if you would actually go for it… but I guess you should consider yourself lucky that the effects of the DreamClouds phenomenon have just faded away from this area."

After he pokes his head through the shirt, he looks out the window and notices that the purple haze has indeed cleared away. He looks back at his friend and asks, "So that is what the purple haze was out there?"

He nods his head and replies, "Yes. I guess the DreamClouds experiment my dad just did pay off."

Mitchell tweaks his head and asks, "DreamCloud… experiment?"

He nods and says while standing up from his chair, "Yeah. It will be best for us to head over to the lab and visit my father. I am rather curious to see how his experiment went."

* * *

The town of Angelus is a small place, for there is a house at each corner of the town with their own square of yard, and the laboratory in the middle. The lab itself is about the side of three houses side-by-side with a blue-slanted-roof and a white exterior. On the top of the lab are many chimneys and air vents that seem to suck in the DreamClouds whenever it needs to.

Cody opens the front door and the boys walk themselves in. The room the boys are currently in is the main laboratory. The walls are covered with many machines Mitchell can only guess are important for the research. Tubes scale the ceiling and lead up through the ceiling, which can only lead to the air vents. The boys are walking down an alleyway surrounded by many desks and lab equipment. Mitchell watches the scientists as they study the DreamClouds, which appear to be in test tubes and vials. Each of the scientist look exactly alike through his eyes, for they are all wearing lab coats, aprons, hairnets, and many other safety clothing. The alleyway is the safest place to be, for there are glass walls on either side to keep visitors safe from any possible threats.

Mitchell asks as they continue to walk down the alleyway, "Cody, just what kind of experiments are they doing with the DreamClouds?"

Cody answers, "They are studying the effects and the possible forms the clouds can become. You see… the DreamClouds just appeared from out of nowhere about three years ago. That was about the time when you and I got attacked by those wild Ekans."

He says while crossing his arms, "That's right… I do remember the wild Ekans appearing out of nowhere. The weird thing is that we were not near any tall grass or any other area that wild Pokemon would appear from."

His friend answers, "That is where my father's research comes in, for you see, he has reason to believe that the two Ekans that attacked us actually came from the DreamClouds. Do you remember us being surrounded by that fog during that time?"

He nods and answers, "I do… it was the strangest thing I have ever seen. But I do not remember seeing that purple fog after that incident…"

Cody answers, "That is because my father is the one that draws in all the DreamClouds in this town through the air vents. That is the reason why you have not seen the clouds again, until today, that is."

Mitchell is about to say something else, until a male voice yells, "Lock-down the lab!"

A look of surprise shows on the boys' faces as the lab goes dark and red-emergency lights flicker on in the darkness. Mitchell looks at both sides and watches as the glass walls are blocked out by sliding metal doors. He looks straight ahead and sees Cody rushing down the alleyway on his own. He quickly follows his friend, trying to catch up with him. As soon as they reach the end of the long alleyway, their eyes widen with shock when they see Professor Mimosa cornered by two wild Poochyena.

The professor looks at the boys and says while blocking the hounds' attacks with a big textbook, "Impressive timing, boys. You came here just at the nick of time! Grab one of those Pokeballs from the machine over there and help me take care of these Poochyena!"

Without asking any questions, the boys rush over to the large cylinder shape machine at the upper left hand corner of the room. When Cody opens the door to the inside of the machine, there are fifteen Pokeballs within it, waiting for a trainer to pick them up. There are three wracks with five Pokeballs each. Each wrack is labeled by type, where the top is all grass-types, the second wrack is all fire-types, and the bottom wrack is all water-types.

Cody quickly picks the second wrack and grabs the middle Pokeball. As for Mitchell, he quickly goes for the top wrack and grabs the Pokeball to the far left. The door of the machine shuts and the boys face the direction where the Poochyena continue their assault on the professor.

Cody yells, "Hey, Poochyena!"

As the hounds cease their attack and spot the boys, Mitchell says while pressing the button of his Pokeball, making it grow in size, "Leave Professor Mimosa alone!"

Mitchell sends out a Bulbasaur into battle, while Cody sends out a Torchic into battle. After they are out, Bulbasaur says with a serious look, "Leave Mimosa alone!" Torchic says along with Bulbasaur, "Yeah, leave our friend alone, you jerk!"

A look of surprise shows on Mitchell's face when he heard the Pokemon speak. Of course, there is a time and place to ask questions, but now is not the time. The Poochyena duo faces the Pokemon, growl menacingly, and pounce the two.

Mitchell says quickly, "Alrighty, Bulbasaur, go for a Tackle attack!" As Bulbasaur rushes toward the nearest hound, Torchic runs alongside him, getting ready to use Scratch on the other hound. When the two duos collide, the Poochyena are the ones sent flying backwards, while Bulbasaur and Torchic stand their ground with looks of determination.

As soon as the Poochyena make contact with the ground, they explode and turn into the purple haze. As soon as the hounds turn into the purple haze, the professor quickly presses a button on one of the machines, sucking in the purple haze through the air vents and back into the machines.

* * *

Bulbasaur looks up at Mitchell and says with a smile, "Thanks for releasing me from the Pokeball to help my friend, sir. I was quite worried when those Poochyena attacked…"

He rubs the back of his head and says with a look that says he is trying to absorb the fact that a Pokemon is literally talking to him, "It is not problem, I guess…"

After Torchic thanks Cody, the two Pokemon face the professor and rush over to attempt a hug. While the two check on the professor, Mitchell asks Cody with a look of surprise, "How in the world are those Pokemon able to talk?" The look on Cody's face tells him that this is his first experience with a talking Pokemon.

The trainers look directly at the professor and Cody asks, "Father… what in the world is going on here?"

He answers while pressing another button on his desk, "I will explain as soon as I cancel the lock-down." With a press of a button, the florescent lights turn back on and the sliding-metal doors slide back into an opening in a wall on either side of the main lab. The scientists behind the glass walls continue with their own experiments as if nothing happened.

Mitchell gets a good look at the professor and notices that he looks exactly like Cody, only with green colored eyes and strands of gray hair mix in with his long black hair.

The professor explains while placing a chewed-up textbook down on his desk, "I was experimenting on the DreamClouds I collected earlier today. You see… today's DreamCloud wave came in rather later than usual, which is why there were strange things going on around the town. I was getting complaints that many people around here grew wings. When we sucked in the DreamClouds in with our venting system, a portion of the clouds managed to get into the lab, which is where those Poochyena came from. Those two hounds actually materialized from the small portion!" He looks down at the Bulbasaur and Torchic and continues, "As for these two, they, along with the other thirteen starters, came from the DreamClouds, too."

Bulbasaur nods his head and says, "That is right. Mister Mimosa brought us into this world and took care of us. We are in his debt." Torchic chimes in with a smile, "That is right. I am glad to be in a world like this one."

Cody asks with a look of concern, "If it is true that those two came from the DreamClouds, wouldn't that mean if they are defeated, they will meet the same fate as those Poochyena?"

He shakes his head and answers, "Actually, that is where those Pokeballs come in. Once you capture a Dream Pokemon with a Pokeball, they will become physical and learn to speak. You see… just from watching you two battle, I can tell that the Poochyena were still in their vapor and wild forms. If Pokemon like that have not been captured in the Pokeballs, than they will disappear back into the purple haze."

Mitchell thinks as he looks down at the Bulbasaur with a smile on his face, 'Those two look very happy to be with the professor. I guess it must have sucked to live as a vapor…'

The professor kneels down and says to the two Pokemon, "Bulbasaur, Torchic, I have an important task for you two to take."

They look at the professor and say simultaneously, "We will do anything for you, Mimosa."

He says while pointing at the boys, "You see those two over there? The one on the left is my son and the one on the right is his friend. I need you two to stick with your new trainers and explore this region with them. Will this be all right with you two?"

Bulbasaur looks at Mitchell with a sincere look in his eyes and says, "If that is what you want me to do, than I will."

Mitchell smiles at the Bulbasaur and says, "I will be happy to have you with me, Saura."

The Bulbasaur tweaks his head in confusion and asks, "Saura… is that the nickname you wish to give me?"

He asks, "Will that be all right with you? I mean, if you do not like it, I can always call you by your normal name."

The Bulbasaur chuckles and says, "I am cool with nicknames. I am just glad you did not decide to give me some weird nickname with Bulby or something stupid like that. It will take some time to get used to, but you can go ahead and call me Saura."

After Cody and Torchic greet each other, the professor says, "Alright, go ahead and return your Pokemon into their Pokeballs."

The two trainers did as instructed and returned their Pokemon into their Pokeballs. After a beam of red light makes contact with the Pokemon and turn them into the red energies, they flow back into the Pokeballs. The balls shrink in size, allowing Mitchell to place his Pokeball in his jacket pocket.

The professor says with a smile on his face, "I cannot thank you two enough for helping me when you did. I was concerned that those wild Poochyena were going to destroy all of my equipment…"

Mitchell says, "I am glad you did not get hurt, sir. I am still trying to understand everything about the DreamClouds and what exactly you are researching."

He answers while he and the two boys face the machinery covering the back wall, "We are studying the characteristics of the DreamClouds in the region. So far, we are able to tell that the DreamClouds in this section of the Somnium Region are able to bring out wild Pokemon and are able to bring a person's dream into reality. That being said…"

He faces the boys and continues, "It is always a person's dream to be able to fly, right? That is most likely the reason why everyone in this town grew wings. However," He looks back at the machinery and continues, "I wish to know what other effects the DreamClouds have throughout other sections of the Somnium Region. I would go out there if I could, but I need to keep this laboratory in check and make sure the machines stay active. I am sure you two are able to guess what is to come next?"

The boys face the professor and Cody answers, "You want us to explore this region and collect DreamCloud samples, right?"

He answers with a smile, "That is right, my son. On this journey, you will be bringing a few devices along with you. You will be taking a DreamCloud Catcher and a Dream-Pokedex. I am certain that there are many Pokemon in the vapor forms, so I want you guys to collect the Pokemon data and complete it if possible. As long as you encounter them, the data will automatically collect. There is no reason for you two to catch the Pokemon, unless you want them on your team. It will be best to have more than one Pokemon on your team if you can help it."

The boys nod their head and answer at the same time, "We understand."

He crosses his arms and says with a smile, "I am glad to hear that. For now, go ahead and return home for the day. Come back here tomorrow at nine and pick up your equipment. I recommend that you two get to know your Pokemon better today, so they can get to know you, too. You are dismissed."

The two thank the professor and leave the room through the long alleyway.

As they walk down the alleyway, the professor smiles and thinks, 'Those two have grown up quickly. I hope they are ready for their journeys tomorrow.' He faces the machinery again and says as more of the DreamClouds filter through the vents from outside and into the machines, 'I am curious to see what those two will get out of this research expedition.' He returns to his desk and continues his research on the new assortment of DreamClouds.

* * *

**Author: **This story is definitely going to be an interesting one. Just so you all know, the name for Bulbasaur is an inspiration from ScytheRider, the author of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Silver Resistance. I highly recommend you guys check out his story when you get the chance. I hope you are all enjoying this story as it progresses. Please let me know what you think of this idea by leaving a review below. It will truly help me continue writing. As for my other story, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Afterlife-Gates of Eternity, that story is currently on hiatus until I run out of ideas for this story and cannot go any further. Anyway, please let me know what you think of this story! Just to let you all know, I am Mitchell in this story. That is my true name.

**Mitchell**: This is going to be pretty weird... I never dealt with a talking Pokemon before...

**Saura(Bulbasaur): **We do need to get to know one another like what your friend and Torchic are doing now. If we are going to explore this region together, you need to know who I am as a Pokemon and I need to get to know you as who you truly are.

**Mitchell: **It is going to be a bit weird talking to a Pokemon, but I guess since you are able to talk back, that will not make me look like a crazy person.

**Saura(Bulbasaur): **This is going to be interesting...

**Author: **Stay tuned.


	3. Chapter 2: Getting to Know Saura and

Chapter 2: Getting to Know Saura and Mitchell

Mitchell is sitting on his bed in his room, looking at the Bulbasaur that is lying at the foot of his bed. The two are staring at each other silently, as if trying to figure out what to say to the other. The silence in the room is deafening, which causes Mitchell and Bulbasaur to sigh simultaneously.

He rubs the back of his head and says with a guilty expression, "I am sorry, Saura… I guess I am still having difficulties of what to say to a talking Pokemon…"

Bulbasaur replies while reeling out a vine from his bulb and rubbing the back of his head, "There is nothing to worry about, Mitchell. We just met today, so it will take some time until we can really get to know one another."

Mitchell asks, "If you do not mind me asking, can you explain what it is like to be in a DreamCloud? I thought Pokemon were usually out in the wild, so why did you come from the purple vapors?"

He answers while reeling his vine back into his bulb, "It is a lonely life within the DreamCloud. I do not fully know how the DreamClouds came to be, but from what I heard from Professor Mimosa, he says that those that are from the DreamCloud have a special ability that no other Pokemon in my species has. For example, a normal Bulbasaur would have the ability Overgrow, which boosts the powers of our grass type moves when we are in danger. As for me, my ability is the one known as Chlorophyll. With this special ability, it means I will be the fastest in battle whenever I am in the presence of the sun."

Mitchell says with an awe-inspiring look, "That is truly impressive, Saura. What else can you tell me about yourself?"

He answers with a smile, "I am pretty much a defensive Pokemon. My attack powers are great, but I am more of the defensive type. In other words, the attacks I do currently know are Tackle, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, and Leech Seed. I am a reliable Pokemon when it comes to draining the enemy's energy. I only fight when there is a purpose behind it. For example, if you and Cody wish to battle against each other because it will help us grow stronger, than I will battle for that cause. However, if you two battle because you are angry at one another, I will not partake in the battle, no matter what you do. Is that understandable?"

The trainer nods and replies, "That is understandable, Saura. I appreciate you telling me this. I suppose I should go ahead and tell you about myself?"

He answers while lying down on his stomach, "I am all ears, Mitchell."

Mitchell says after crossing his arms over his chest and taking a deep breath, "I am a thoughtful person that looks out for the well-being of others. Others tell me that I am a kind soul and easy to be around, for I bring out a positive aura that makes everyone around me feel a bit happier. I take everything seriously most of the time, but I do have a joking side when I feel comfortable around others. When I was going to the Pokemon School in Folium Town, which is north of this place, I took my classes seriously and passed each class with excellence. However, there do come a few days where I will feel inadequate and feel like I am failing something important. I am still trying to figure out what I should do when I grow up more, but nothing sounds interesting to me at all. I tend to get depressed when I feel inadequate… but I do my best to keep up my positive attitude. Although, I do tend to hold in my angry emotions when something bothers me…"

The look on Mitchell's face tells Bulbasaur that he feels ashamed for having to hold in his emotions. "Why is it that you hold in your emotions, Mitchell?"

He answers while rubbing the back of his head nervously, "To be honest… I am not sure myself. I guess I do not want to hurt the feelings of those that are around me. I guess if I ever hurt anyone's feelings, I start to feel bad, too. I recall my days back in the school… I have made a few mistakes here and there. I know I made the wrong decisions before I graduated. I wish I could take those mistakes back, but what's done is done."

Bulbasaur asks while keeping his eyes on his trainer's, "If you do not mind me asking, what kinds of mistakes did you make?"

He answers with a guilty expression, "I am sorry, Saura… but I do not wish to talk about it. I made a promise to myself to keep the past where it is. Besides, I made contact with those I think I hurt and made everything better. I do not like to leave a bridge burning if you know what I mean."

He nods his head and answers, "I understand, Mitchell. I will say this, though; you do seem like an interesting trainer. Perhaps it is fate that you chose me as your Pokemon."

He asks with a look of curiosity, "What do you mean by that, Saura?"

He answers, "Earlier today when Mimosa was being attacked by the Dream-Poochyena, did you select me because you knew who you wanted to start with at first, or were you not sure who to pick at the time?"

A look of realization shows in his eyes as he says, "Now that you mention it…" He closes his eyes and pictures the events that took place. He remembers looking at all of the Pokeballs that were on display in the machine, but he chose his Pokemon by chance. It did not matter who he chose, as long as he was able to save a life.

Bulbasaur says while Mitchell puts the pieces of the puzzle together, "You are a kind soul, Mitchell. You do not have any greed or lust for power within your heart. You chose me so you can save the life of Mimosa. Perhaps the actions you take in life will reflect on what kind of future you have. For you to go out of your way to help others is a great quality to have, but there is one crucial part you seem to lack…"

The trainer stares the Bulbasaur in the eyes as he finishes his sentence, "You seem to lack the confidence in yourself… those moments when you feel inadequate or useless around others means that you lack confidence in yourself. It is as you said earlier; others have told you that you are a kind soul. Do not let those words be ignored; otherwise, you will continue to feel negativity toward yourself. It will take time, but I will help you in any way I can. That is what friends are for, right?"

Mitchell smiles at the grass-types words and says, "Right," he extends his right hand out, "that is what friends are for."

Bulbasaur tweaks his head in confusion and asks, "What are you doing with your hand?"

He answers, "This is the way we form a connection, Saura. It is considered as shaking hands. In your case, though, I will probably shake your vine."

Bulbasaur reels his right vine out and says as he wraps it around his trainer's wrist, "Like this?"

Mitchell smiles and says while gently closing his hand into a fist and politely shakes hands with his Pokemon, "That is right."

After they shake hands, Bulbasaur says while he reels his vine back into his bulb, "I can already tell that you are going to be an interesting trainer, Mitchell."

He smiles and says after chuckling at his Pokémon's words, "Same to you, Saura."

The Bulbasaur chuckles at his trainer's words and says happily, "I am glad we had this talk, Mitchell. I definitely feel better about being with you during this expedition."

He answers happily, "Same here. You know," he gets up off the bed and says after planting his bare feet on the wood floor, "Before the expedition starts tomorrow, why don't we go outside and train in our backyard. My father had set the backyard up as a training field before he became the gym leader of this region. Do you feel like doing some training, Saura?"

Bulbasaur smiles and says while standing up on all four on the bed, "Sounds like fun. I am interested in what you have in mind."

Mitchell gets his socks and shoes on and the two leave the room. He leaves his jacket behind on the bed and replaced his black t-shirt with a black muscle-shirt.

* * *

A look of surprise shows on Bulbasaur's face when he sees the setup of the backyard. It is filled with many obstacle courses and there are targets hanging from the trees. Some of the targets have dents and burns in them, indicating that they were used for past training sessions. The obstacle courses are more like mazes and tube-structures going in many directions at once. The obstacle course goes as far as the next route, which is where wild Pokemon like to live in.

Mitchell says as Bulbasaur eyes the training field, "My father was quite serious when it came to training his Pokémon. Every day, he and his Pokémon will go through this obstacle course and back each day. Of course, since we are just starting, it is best to just go as far as the target practice section of the training field."

Bulbasaur asks with curiosity, "What kind of Pokémon does your father specialize in?"

He answers with a nervous grin, "He specializes in fighting-type Pokémon. He is actually the strongest gym leader of this region, so he is definitely going to be tough to beat."

Bulbasaur grins nervously and says, "I guess we have a lot of work ahead of us, huh?" His trainer nods and answers, "Oh yeah. I say each time we return home, we go through this training field for as long as we can. The question is," he looks down at Bulbasaur and asks with a look of determination, "Are you willing to go through with this level of training?"

He hesitates at first, for he is looking at how large the obstacle is from where he stands. However, a look of determination shows in his eyes when he thinks, 'My trainer wants me to become stronger for my own well-being. It will be difficult, but I do need to try at least once.' He looks up at his trainer and says, "All right, Mitchell, I am ready for today's training lesson. Let us go as far as the targets."

He nods his head and says as he pulls the lever that is on the side of his house and is next to the sliding glass door, "Without further ado… let us give it everything we got!"

Bulbasaur's eyes widen with surprise as he sees practice dummies appear out of the ground in front of the maze and are wandering into the maze on track systems.

Mitchell says as he and Bulbasaur approach the maze, "The first step in this training is to go through this maze and take down all of the dummies. There are pressure plates in each dummy, which will unlock the locking mechanisms that will seal us within the maze."

With that said, the entrance Mitchell and Bulbasaur walk through is now sealed up by a stonewall. The top of the maze is open, allowing sunshine in the maze.

Bulbasaur asks, "How many of these dummies do we need to take down?"

He answers as they run through the maze, searching long and hard for the dummies, "There are ten total in this maze. We need to hit them all, otherwise we will be stuck in here for a long while."

Bulbasaur mutters, "Oh lovely…"

They find the first dummy in about five minutes; Bulbasaur uses his Vine Whip attack and smacks the dummy upside its head. With that one smack, a green light appears on the dummy's head, indicating that the first lock is unlocked. The dummy disappears into the ground and the Pokemon and the trainer continue their search for the remaining nine.

In about twenty minutes, they take down the next five dummies, leaving a total of four within the maze. In thirty minutes, they manage to take down three dummies, leaving them with one more to find. Both Mitchell and Bulbasaur are panting heavily as they continue to run through the maze, trying to find the last dummy.

Bulbasaur thinks, 'This is definitely some intense training. I am feeling really exhausted right now, and yet I feel like I am getting stronger… perhaps all of this running and battling is increasing my stamina?'

Mitchell asks as sweat rolls down his face, "What do you think, Saura? Is this an interesting training lesson?"

He says while spotting the last dummy down the corridor, riding the tracks away from them as fast as it can, "To be honest, it is definitely tiring. No wonder your father became the strongest gym leader of this region. How long does it take him to complete this course?"

Mitchell answers, as they slowly get closer to the dummy, "The high score of this course is thirty minutes. Right now, we are about to reach the hour mark, which is still a good time since we just started."

The grass-type gives his trainer a half-smile and says, "You don't say… if that is the case," he finishes as he takes careful aim at the dummy, "let me shorten that time by a few minutes!"

A look of surprise shows on the trainer's face as Bulbasaur speeds swiftly toward the dummy. Within a matter of moments, Bulbasaur slams his head against the dummy's back, causing a green light to appear. An air horn sounds throughout the maze as the dummy disappears into the ground. After Mitchell catches up to the exhausted Bulbasaur, the maze walls sink into the ground, leaving them out in an empty area of the backyard.

Mitchell says as he and his Pokémon catch their breaths, "Whenever you complete a section of the training field, it will disappear into the ground for about twenty-four hours. It makes it to where you can only use each facility only once… however," he looks at the targets hanging from the tree and says, "We can use the targets as many times as we want to. If you feel up to it, we can use the targets so you can practice your Leech Seed technique?"

Bulbasaur answer while still trying to catch his breath, "I will see what I can do, but I definitely need some rest after using my Chlorophyll ability."

Mitchell smiles and says while pulling out Bulbasaur's Pokeball from his pants pocket, "Do you want to return into your Pokeball to rest, or do you wish to stay out a little longer?"

He answers sincerely, "I do appreciate you asking, Mitchell. I actually would like to go back into the Pokeball and rest for a while. The best thing about Mimosa's Pokeballs is that the Pokemon that are sent back inside will heal faster. It will not completely heal me from damage, but it does wonders with restoring stamina. If you give me about an hour to rest, I should have all of my stamina back."

The trainer presses the button on the ball and says with a sincere smile, "You deserve the rest, my friend."

He says before disappearing back into the Pokeball, "You do the same, my friend. Get plenty of rest for tomorrow."

The ball shrinks in size and he places the ball back in his pocket. He faces his house and thinks while walking back to the back porch, 'I am truly going to enjoy this. I wonder how Cody and his Torchic are getting along.'

Mitchell pushes the lever up, which shuts down the training field for the day. He finishes after he walks back into the house and heads to the bathroom to take a shower, 'I cannot wait for tomorrow to arrive.'

* * *

Later that day, Cody and his Torchic are in the laboratory visiting Professor Mimosa. The professor is in the middle of his research on the new collection of DreamClouds, looking through a microscope to see what kinds of elements are involved with the purple haze.

The professor looks at his son and asks, "Is there something you wish to tell me, son?"

He answers while crossing his arms, "I am rather curious about the DreamClouds, father. Is it true that the Ekans that attacked Mitchell and me three years ago were the Dream-Pokémon?"

He answers, "It is true, actually. Upon further investigation, we have concluded that the Ekans most like came from the DreamClouds. However, now that you mention it," he looks back at the microscope and says, "We searched each DreamCloud we can in this area for any possible signs of Ekans, but all we found are those of Starly, Poochyena, and Buizel DreamClouds. There are no Ekans DreamClouds in the surrounding area of Angelus Town."

Cody asks, "Is this the other reason why you are sending us out to explore the Somnium Region?"

A grave look shows in the professor's eyes as he answers, "Yes, my son. The fact that Ekans DreamClouds showed in this section indicates that some one is tampering with them. I would do the investigation myself, but you do understand why I cannot go out of this lab, right?"

Cody answers, "I do understand, but you must tell Mitchell about this possible problem tomorrow. He needs to know what he might be up against on this journey."

The professor nods his head and says in a calm tone, "I will be sure to tell him, Cody. Now," he returns to his microscope and says, "You and Torchic should go ahead and return home. You will need plenty of rest for tomorrow."

Cody says, "I definitely plan on doing so." He looks down at his Torchic and says, "Let us go on home, Blaze. We need to get ready for tomorrow."

He answers happily, "Sounds like a plan, Cody." He faces the professor and he and Cody say at the same time, "Good night."

As they walk down the alleyway to the entrance of the lab, the professor says, "Good night, Cody. Tomorrow is going to be the starting point of the path you will follow in life."

As the professor returns to his work, he thinks in a tone of concern, 'If it is true that someone is tampering with the DreamClouds, I hope Cody and Mitchell will be able to handle it…'

* * *

**Author: **It appears there is more to this expedition... what could possibly be tampering with the DreamClouds? How will Mitchell and Cody's journey start out tomorrow? Find out in the next chapter. Please leave a review and take care.

**Saura(Bulbasaur): **I must say... today's training session has truly worn me out. I best I can sleep all day tomorrow.

**Mitchell: **You and me both... but we need to get up as early as we can for tomorrow to get ready. We need to meet Professor Mimosa and Cody at the lab at nine o'clock tomorrow.

**Blaze(Torchic): **That is right! I am looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow, Bulbasaur. Have a good night!

**Saura(Bulbasaur): **Good night to you as well, Torchic.

**Author: **Have a good night, everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story so far!


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